The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t just pay for Tyler Linderbaum’s talent. They paid for everything that comes with it, and training camp is already showing why the three-time Pro Bowler commanded a massive three-year, $81 million deal in free agency.
For the Baltimore Ravens, that makes the loss sting even more. Linderbaum was one of the most important pieces of their offense over the past four years, and now the Raiders are starting to see exactly what Baltimore had in him all along: a center who elevates everyone around him.
Raiders offensive line coach Rick Dennison put that value into plain language during a recent press conference.
“I don’t think anyone won’t benefit from Tyler [Linderbaum],” Dennison said. “He’s done a really good job. He’s athletic, he leads, he does all the drills.”
That kind of impact matters a lot for a unit that was a mess last season. Las Vegas allowed a league-worst 64 sacks in 2025, so adding a player with Linderbaum’s blend of athleticism, communication and toughness was a major priority.
His background also fits the job. Linderbaum has built his game on winning those one-on-one battles, and his wrestling roots show up in the way he handles contact. But the bigger trait has always been the same one Dennison highlighted: he makes the people next to him better.
Baltimore knows that side of him well. Even when the Ravens’ line around him wasn’t at its best, Linderbaum kept doing his job in the middle and helping steady the operation. Last season, he was working with Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees on either side, and while that setup didn’t produce the results Baltimore wanted, it gave him more experience playing through the kind of uneven protection the Raiders have dealt with for far too long.
That’s what makes this departure so frustrating for the Ravens. Their offensive line does look improved, but losing the leader who snapped the ball to Lamar Jackson for four straight years creates a different kind of problem. The unit may be stronger on paper, yet it could still go through some early bumps without that same presence at center.
In Las Vegas, though, the payoff is already taking shape. Linderbaum’s arrival looks like it could stabilize the entire front, and eventually help rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, too. The Raiders made a huge investment, and right now it looks like they’re getting exactly what they paid for.
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Tyler Loop Is Giving Ravens Fans A Reason To Reconsider Him
Tyler Loop is trying to change the conversation in Baltimore after a rookie season that ended with a painful miss from 44 yards when the Ravens needed it most. The kicker has had to live with that moment all offseason, but his work in training camp has at least given the team a fresh reason to pause before settling on a final judgment.
Loop was perfect on a recent practice day, and the range he showed on the field goals was encouraging for a Ravens team that knows how much stability matters on special teams. There is still another part of his game the staff wants cleaned up, though, and if he can make progress there, Baltimore may be looking at a much more complete answer at kicker than it had a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Randall Could Give Ravens An Offensive Weapon They Rarely Have
Adam Randall arrived as a fifth-round pick, but the Ravens are already treating him like something more than a standard developmental project. The plan is to move him around the offense and see how far his versatility can go, with work at wide receiver, running back and even tight end concepts, along with the sort of pass protection duties that can keep a young player on the field.
Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner has been encouraged by Randalls physicality and intelligence, especially the way he has taken to complex NFL protections. Baltimore has long valued matchup problems and multipurpose pieces, and Randalls path is aimed at giving the offense a kind of hybrid threat it rarely gets to deploy in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Camp Battle Is Heating Up Around A Few Surprising Standouts
The second week of Ravens training camp in Owings Mills brought the kind of padded work that starts separating roster hopefuls from the pack, and a few names have been impossible to ignore. Cornerback T.J. Tampa has been especially active in the mix for the No. 4 cornerback role, bringing the sort of physical edge that shows up in camp drills and making plays on the ball. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop also turned heads with a noticeably cleaner week of field goal work, while safety Jaylinn Hawkins kept finding his way into the action with disruptive reps and the occasional collision.
Zay Flowers has been part of that growing list of standouts as well, flashing on the kind of catches that remind the Ravens why he is viewed as a potential reliable target. For Baltimore, the encouraging part is not just that the competition is lively, but that it is happening in several places at once, with young players and depth pieces forcing the staff to take a hard look at who can contribute once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]